Electric motors are often used to drive a wheel as opposed to using a traditional combustion engine powertrain. Electric motors can also be used as part of a hybrid configuration to provide supplemental driving power to the vehicle wheel. The use of electric motors offers improved fuel economy as a primary advantage.
One difficulty presented by the addition of an electric motor to a wheel drive unit is the incorporation of a static or parking brake feature. In current motor configurations it is difficult to package an effective parking brake mechanism within the limited available space.
Thus, there is a need for an electric motor and parking brake combination that can be effectively and efficiently packaged within available space at a wheel.